In this episode of The Dream Journal, host Katherine Bell speaks with dreamwork pioneer Robert Bosnak, founder of Embodied Imagination, about how to work with dreams, symptoms, memories, and trauma without forcing interpretation. Bosnak shares why “not knowing” can be the most skillful stance in dreamwork, how to re-enter a dream through flashback memory, and how shifting perspective—from the “narrator” to the environment or other beings—can unlock relief, agency, and integration.

Keywords: dreamwork, embodied imagination, Robert Bosnak, Katherine Bell, experiential dreamwork, flashback memory, non-interpretive dreamwork, trauma nightmares, somatic symptoms, neutral witness, psychedelic integration, imaginal realm, dual consciousness

Key takeaways

Start with not knowing. A dream can be meaningful even when you can’t explain it; “not understanding” can keep you closer to the living experience of the dream.
Re-enter the dream as a place. Instead of treating dreams as stories to decode, Embodied Imagination uses flashback memory to return to the dream environment and feel it in the body.
The body leads the mind. Sensation and affect often arrive before conscious meaning—so the work begins with what the body is already doing.
Work with symptoms as imagery. By focusing attention on the location of a symptom, spontaneous images can arise (distinct from mental “fabrication”).
Shift perspective to create change. Moving from the “I/narrator” to the viewpoint of the image (e.g., the mountains, a closet, a wall) can soften overwhelm and open new possibilities.
Use a neutral witness for trauma. Approaching a traumatic scene from the perspective of a steady object in the environment can reduce re-traumatization while allowing the experience to be processed.
Dual consciousness supports integration. In psychedelic or numinous states, holding “two worlds at once” helps you stay grounded while engaging the imaginal reality.
Integration is a practice. Returning to the experience, slowing it down, and revisiting it from multiple perspectives can turn a peak moment into an embodied daily exercise.

BIO: Robert Bosnak is a Zurich-trained Jungian psychoanalyst specializing in dreaming. He founded Embodied Imagination and is a past IASD president, a fiction and non-fiction book author, and psychiatry faculty at the SUNY Upstate Medical University. He is also presenting at the IASD conference in June up in Ashland Oregon.

Learn more at EmbodiedImagination.com

To donate to the show’s host community radio station, go to KSQD.org

The IASD conference is June 13-17 in Ashland Oregon. Find out more at IASDconferences.org/2026/

SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com.

This show, episode number 359, was recorded during a live broadcast on April 18, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz.

Videos available on YouTube at youtube.com/@experientialdreamwork. Popular playlists: “Dream Journal shorts” and “FULL LENGTH VIDEOS”.

Here are links to some other Dream Journal episodes you might be interested in:

Dancing With Dreams & Nightmares | Ritual Dreamwork, Bees, Snakes, & the Dream Hive with Lana Nasser

From Shame to Self-Love with Bill St. Cyr

Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick for also engineering the show and to Erik Nelson for answering the phones.

SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow on LI, IG, YT, FB, & LT @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com.

The Dream Journal aims to: Increase awareness of and appreciation for nightly dreams. Inspire dream sharing and other kinds of dream exploration as a way of adding depth and meaningfulness to lives and relationships. Improve society by the increased empathy, emotional balance, and sense of wonder which dream exploration invites.

A dream can be meaningful even if you don’t know what it means.

The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/.

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08-29-25 *INTERVIEW* Governor Jared Polis How He Decided What Parts of the State Budget To Cut

08-29-25 INTERVIEW Governor Jared Polis How He Decided What Parts of the State Budget To Cut